Refrigerating system



M. P. OSBOURN REFRIGERATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 13m. 1920 -4 sa :l w=

y 'ig/1111111 Alll/IA w/ rNsss Patented Jan. 22,1924.- i

Mmmm) r. osroumi, or PHILADELPHIA, P ENNsYLvAmA.

RERIGERATING SYSTEM.

Application filed. Aug-ust' 13, 1920. Serial No. 408,381.

T o all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MILLARD l. (lsounn,

I a citizen of theUnited States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ot Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Systems, of which the following is a specification. reference being had to the accompanying drawinU.

MY invention relates to a system ot" refrigeration based upon the principle of heat extraction by evaporation of a part of the refrigerant by a constantly maintained high vacuum. For lthe purpose of more clearly illustrating' the application thereof, I have herein described, and shown on the accompanying drawing, a few embodiments of my invention inapparatus adapted to carry out lthe principles of my invention.

One of the objects of-this invention isxto provide a novel and useful refrigerating system or apparatus of simple construction and of unitary organization.

Another object is to so construct such a system or apparatus whereby the refrigerating effects, temperature depressions or heat abstractions may be accomplished wholly by a comparatively simple and reliable mec anical means without the utilization or the in tervention of any chemical or chemical reactions and with the elimination of the complicated and cumbersome devices heretofore found essential to reach similar ends.

One of'the principal objects of this invention is to provide a system of refrigeration or a refrigerating apparatus ladapted to operate upon the pr1nciple or known law of natur that the evaporation of a liquid, such as wateror solutions composed mainly of water and a dissolved substance, effects a cooling thereof, if the solution be not supplied with heat from an availablesource.

Another object is to provide the afore-`V said system or apparatus Withmeans, in the attainment 0f the results incidental to rel frigeration, capable ot rapidly and eiciently abstracting or absorbin heat from the refrigerant or cooling me ium.

A .still further objectis to provide such 'system or apparatus with means ,adapted to produce a high vacuum or veryI low absolute pressure corresponding. tothe vapor `tension 'of the liquid or refrigerant at any desired temperature. l. I

Still further 4objects and advantages are to provide a system or apparatus which is capable of great capacity; will occupy very little space; be comparativel cheap to conpractically no wear and tear and practically automatically when once setin operation; require very little or no attention or-attendance; be perfectly safe and free of any danger, asy from explosions, requiring no pressure higher than that of the atmosphere; requiring no chemicals, avoidingany rechargngkand eliminatlng practical y all losses by ea like; reduce the cost of repairs and maintenance to an inconsequential or negligible quantity; operate at a very small expense of energy or power; do away with the use of steam ejectors or other steam appliances of any kind, condensers, air pumps, circulating pumps, cooling towers, cooling coils, turbines and the like, and operate with an extremel high efficiency.

A still further object is to provide the system or apparatus with means to render nonavailable any supply of heat from the exterior of the system or apparatus` other than from the device or articles uponl which the refrigerant or cooling medium imposes its cooling edect. such asa refrigerator containing food and similar goods; such'means being preferably in the naturel of a vacuum jacket and being so constructed that the vaclstruct involving extremely ow first cost of installation; operate very economically with age, corrosion, deterioration and the uum thereof will be self-created and self- .fact that/any liquid, when vpozing, must be supplied with heat, and, if no other source of heat is avail ble, it will be drawn from the liquid itself, which .is consequently cooled. Y 1

By my system, the substance to b e cooled, which may be water. brine or any aqueous solution (calcium chlorid may be used in- 1w v stead'ot` salt or sodium chlorld), is cooled directly within the apparatus without the the A' nooy los

, use .of a separate cooler, nor of a series of structed in accordance with the invention; and. j

F1 2 1s a similar vieW of another torni.

Re erring now more particularly to the drawing, the embodiment illustrated in F ig. 1, comprises a double w'all casing 1 having a vacuum space 2 between the walls thereof forthe ypur )ose of insulating the. interior ot the casing rom the entrance of heat, as will become apparent. from the h'ereinatter disclosure. The casing may be divided into two chambers 3 and 4, by a transverse wall 5, the chamber 3being in the lower portion of the casinon and the chamber 4 being in the upper part thereof. Theupper part of the casing may be made detachable with the lower part and secured thereto by means of bolts G. A cover 7 may be used to substantially close the chamber 4, said cover being provided With an opening ory vent 8, for a purpose hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the lower chamber 3 of the device may be located a vacuum pump 9, of any suitable form, suchl as the type disclosed in my copending application.- Serial No. 400,174, filed July 3 ,1920. This pump may be operated by a motor 10, located outside of the casing'l and driven by means ot a shaft 11, extending into .the casingr and conveniently connected to the pump.' The puinpvmav be providedwith liquid inlet ports 12, an inlet conduit 13 and a discharge conduit 14 leading in the upper chamber 4. The inlet conduit 13l to the pump extends upwardly above the norinalelevel of the liquid 1.5 in the lower `chamber 'and is provided with a fitting16 having an inlet 17 through which vapors from the upper part` of the^chambcr 3 enter when thepump .is operating` and creating.

a vacuum in said rchamber above the liquid 15. Upon the fitting v16 may be connected an ejector 18, known in the art as the Worthington rotary spray ejector, adapted under the yvacuum formed lin the fitting 16 to cast a whirl of liquid spray in the titting 16 and conduit 13, such liquid being t'ed to said ejector through a pipe 19 connected to theejector and the, upper chamber 4. YThe pipe eads to a T casing 20 having therein a valve connected to a stem 21 extending throughy aspray head 22 connected .to the menace lower side of the fitting or casin 20.v The lower end of the stem 21 is provided with a float 23 adapted` t0 move with the liquid level in the lower chamber whereby thevalve in the casing 20 may open to permit passage otv tluids, such as brine and the like. into the spray head 22 to be sprayed into the chamber 3, when the level of the liquid is low. To the casing is connected a pipe 24 leading through and to the exterior of the casing 1 to a coil 25 which may be located in a refrigerator chamber or similar place where cooling effects are to be produced. The upper end of the lcoil 25 leads to a control valve 26 and a pipe 27, the latter4 being connected to the upper chamber 4.

The control valve 26 is ot utility to regulate and control the, flow ot the refrigerating tluid, such as brine, trom the chamber 4, through the coil 25 to the chamber 3. The means for effecting the valve comprises a thermostat 28 located in the retrigerating chamber, a tube 29rconnected to the thermostat 'and a diaphragm chamber 30, said tube containing any suitable Huid ada ted to cxpand and contract upon rise and all in tcmperature. The diaphragm of the chamber 30 may be connected to the valve. stem 31 whereby an opening and closing movement of the valve 26 may be effected upon the expansion or contract-ion of they fluid in the tube 29 and thermostat 28.

ln the chamber 4 may be located a float 32 connected to a stem 33 pivotally connected or jointed to a bell crank lever 34 pivot- /ally mounted upon the cover 7. An arm 35 of the lever 34 carries an adjustable weight 36- and a pin 37 adapted to operate in a slot 38 provided at the end of the switch arm 39, the latter being` connected to a switch 40 controlling the circuit 40 to themotor 10.

ln operation. the pump' 10 operates submerged in the liquid 15 at. a high speed ot rotation, and creates and maintains a high vacuum in the inlet conduit 13 as Well as the chamber 3 above the level ot the liquid 15, the vapors and gases beingy drawn from said chamber through the inlet 17 ot the litting-lG. The rotary ejector 18, due to the force of the vacuum in the conduit 13 and fitting 16. causes a sprayor` liquid to form in said fitting as the vapors are withdrawn from the openin 17. A mixture of liquid and vapors is tiien drawn into the pump and forced upwardly through the discharge connection 14 into the chamber 4. vAs t e mixture becomes quiet in the chamber 4, the vapors Willlbe disengaged from the liquid and passed upwardly througlfthe perforation or vent 8 in the cover 7, to the atmos,I phere. This liquid will be of a comparatively low temperature and will circulate b gravity through the pipe 27, coil 25 an pipes 24 and 29, tothe ejector 18, a portion ofthe liquid passing intothc spray head and vsprayed in the, form of a fine rain into the vacuum space of the chamber 3 above the" liquid 18. Inasmuch as this ,sprayv is Y prises a caslng 41 having a sinfgle chamber formed in a vac-num a po tion of the liq. uid thereof will be eva-por tedv into vapor and as evaporation occurs within an insulated chamber, the remaining` portion of the li uid will be cooled. The cooled liquid will' ow downwardly at the sides of the pum and enter the ports 12 of the pump, there y operatin *upon the fluids flowing to the pump from t e inlet conduit 13 and` rising in the connection 14 to the chamber 4. The cooled' liquid in the chamber 4 then flows by gravity into the coil 25 and returns to the ejector and spray head' as before. The thermostat, being located in the refrigerator compartment operates, as the temperature rises, to cause an opening fof the valve 26 whereby more cooling fluid may circulate through the coil 25, thereby reducing the temperature in the refrigerator compartments. As the circulation of the refrigerating fluid increases, the liquid levell 1n the chamber 4 is lowered and the float 32 will be accordingly lowered. As the arm is drawn past the vertical. the weight 36 will cause it to move rapidly to its limits with the pin 37 operating in the slot of the arm 39 whereby the switch 40 may be quickly thrown; in this case to `close the circuit. This will effect a starting of the motor l() and the pump 9 until the liquid level in the chamber 4 is re-established. As thejlevel rises,`the float 32 rises and the arm' 35 is again throw j toward the position shown in Fig. l', whe eby'the pin 37 will contact at the other endof the slot 38 in the arm 39 and case the switch 40 to be thrown open.

rlhe `form of device shown in.Fi}1. 2 com- 42.,the casing wal's beinedouble ,and proi vided with vacuum spaces 43 therebetween.

cen

A cover 44 may be provided to close the upper end of the chamber 42. Within this chamber is located a vacuum pump 45 of any suitable type. such as shown in my copendingl application, Serial` No. 400.174, filed July 30, 1920. .the pump being adaptedx tooperate submerged. The pump may be provided with `a pair of vapor kor gasintakes 46, leading from the vacuum spacevabove the. level ofthe liquid 47 into the pump chamber, inlet ports 48 for the liquid and a discharge conduit 49 extending to the exterior of the casing 41 at a suitable height. The conduit 49 may ha've'connected thereto a circulating pipe 50,1eadin`g from the ele conduit 49 above the cover44 to the lower portion of the chamber 42.` The pipe 50 may be. provided with, a valvee51 of any suitable form, the stem 52 of which may be connected Ito a link 53 jointed to a lever 54y pivotally supported at one end thereof on the bracket 55. the latter bein rigidly se-` cured to the conduit 49. To t other end of the lever 54 may lie connected a rod 56 which is provided at its lower end with a float 57 adapted to operatein the conduit 49.l As the level of the,liquid in the conduit 49 rises, the va ve is accordingly opened and the liquid* is adapted to flow therefrom through the pi e 54 into the bottom of the chamber 4l. he upper end of the conduit 49 is open to the atmosphere in order that. as

the vapors disengage from the liquid'therein, the same .may pass off into the atmosphere.

A- refrigerant circula-ting pipe 58 provided With af coil 59 is connected to the chamber 41 with the upper end thereof just be`.ow the normal level ofthe liquid 47 therein and the lower end'thereof to the lower portion Nof the casing 41 whereby circulation ofl the refrigerant may be upwardly through the,coil 59"and ,pipe 58.V

A motor 60 -adapted to 'drive a shaft 6l is connected to the pump 45. In both forms, shown, theI conduits at the outside of the casings 1 and 41 may be heat insulated in any suitable manner, as by covering the same with insulating material-` In operation, the pump 45 operates to create a vacuum in the upper space of the chamber 42, whereby the vapors therein are.` drawn downwardly into the inlet pipes or vapor intakes 46 into the pump 45., At the same time liquids enter the ports 48 of the pump 45 and operate upon the vapor there- 1n to be ejected therewith through the pipe 49, the pump operating in submerged condition. The mixedl liquid and vapors rise intothe pipe 49. where the vapors may disengage therefrom and pass to the atmosphere. TheV liquid may then circulate through the pipe 50 back into the lower portion of the chamber 42. It will be noted A that as ythe vacuum is created and maintained in the upper space of the chamber 42. a certain amount of the iquid 47. at. the surfac(` thereof. will be evaporated thereby giving: up latentv heat of evaporation. whereby the liquid will be cooled. The cooled liquid will descend into the chamber42 and rise through the pi e 58 and coil 59. the coil 59 being' locate in a refrigerator compartment or like place where cooling effects are desired, the warm liquid then passing through the pipe 58 into the upper part ofthe chamber 42. /V

'Having thus described and shown uponv the accompanying drawingcert-ain embodiments constructed in accordance with my invention, it is however, to be understood that the invention is not limitedl to the particulil lar details and arrangement of parts shown and described, but that the invention cornprehends other embodiments` details and arrangement of parts as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaiin and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a refrigeratingr system. the combination of a closed chamber containing a re- -frigerant in the lower portion thereof, a

pump submerged in said refrigerant for commingling Vsaid refrigerant with the` I frigcrant iii the lower portion thereof and a vacuum space above said refrigerant, vacuum producing means having inlet ports submerged in said refrigerant, said means beiiigprovided with an intake leading from said vacuum .space and a discharge conduit subject to atmospheric. pressure, means for operating said vacuum producing means whereby a high partial vacuum is maintained in said vacuum space by the withdrawal `of vapors therefrom through said intake and discharging the same through said discharge conduit whereby said vapor disengages from the fiuids of greater density, and means for circulatingr said refrigerant. h

3. In a refrigei'ating system, the combination of a closed chamber containing a refrigerant in the lower portion thereof and a4 vacuum in the upper ortion thereof, means located in said cham er for creatin and maintaining a artial vacuum in sai upper portion of said chamber, said means being provided with an intake leading from said vacuum space, and a discharge conduit subject to the pressure of the atmosphere, the partial vacuum4 in said vacuum space causing an evaporation of a ortion o the refrigerant whereby said refrigerant is lowered in temperature, means for circulating said cooled refrigerant, thermostatie means menace for eontrollin thecirculation of said refrigerant, an means controlled by the liquid level of said cooled refrigerant for controlling the operation of said vacuum creating means.

4. In a refrigerating system, the combination of means having a closed chamber for containing a liquid refrigerant and a vacuum space above said refrigerant, means for creating and maintaining a vpartial vacuum in said vacuum space whereby a portion of said refrigerant is evaporated to lower the temperature of said refrigerant, means for circulating the cooled refrigerant., means controlled by the temperature of the air surrounding said circulating means for controlling the rate ot' circulation of said refrigerant in said circulating means, and

i a float controlled means for controlling the operation of said vacuum creating means in accordance with the rate of fiow of said refrigerant through said circulating means.

5. n a refrigcratiiig system, the`combi-` nation of means having a closed'niember for containing a liquid refrigerant and a vacuum space above said refrigerant, means for creating and maintaining a partial vacuum in said vacuum space whereb a portion of said refrigerant is evaporate to lower` the temperature of said refrigerant, means for circulating the cooled refrigerant, means controlled bythe temperature of the air surrounding said circulating means for controlling the rate of circulation of said 'efrigerant in said eirculatin means, a float controlled means for contro ling the operation of said vacuum creating means in accordance with the rate of fiowL of said refrigerant through said circulating means, and fioat'controlled means for diverting a portion of said circulating refrigerant into a spray in said vacuum space.

6. In a refrigerating system, the combination of means having a closed chamber for containing a liquid refri rant and a vacuum space above sai refrigerant, means for creating and maintaining a par-J tial vacuum in said vacuum space whereby a portion of said refrigerantis evaporated to lower the temperature of said refrigerant, means for circulating the cooled refrigerant, Yand iioat controlled means for diverting a portion of said circulating refrigerant into a spray in said vacuum space.

In witness whereof, I have hereuntoset my hand this 11th day of August, 1920.

MILLARD P. osBoURN.

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